NY State Senate Bill 2017-S2357

Senate Bill S2357

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to develop a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; appropriation

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to finance
Jan 13, 2017	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

2017-S2357 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A775
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Amd §1854, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2457
2011-2012: S1064
2013-2014: S1614
2015-2016: S2529, A6816
2019-2020: S4179, A3290
2021-2022: S3322, A6828
2023-2024: S2588, A1949

2017-S2357 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to develop, implement, administer and operate a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; makes an appropriation therefor.

2017-S2357 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2357

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public authorities law, in
relation to authorizing the New York state energy research and
development authority to develop a temporary middle income home energy
assistance program; making an appropriation therefor and providing for
the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 PURPOSE :

To establish a program which will provide home heating fuel assistance
to middle-income families who would otherwise not qualify under the
State/Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one of the legislation establishes, within the New York State
Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), and with the
assistance of the Department of Taxation and Finance, the Temporary
Middle Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Section two appropriates $1,000,000 for the purpose of enacting this
temporary program of assistance to middle-income New Yorkers.

Section three enacts the legislation immediately and sunsets the
program on April 1, 2019.

 EXISTING LAW :

This is a new program. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program,
after which this program is modeled, is established in Social Services
Law § 97. LIHEAP is administered by the Office of Temporary and
Disability Assistance, is federally-funded, and has income eligibility
criteria. (See, http://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap)

 JUSTIFICATION :

Although natural gas prices have stabilized, the cost of heating oil,
wood pellets and propane has not remained stable. With the onset of
colder weather, it is anticipated home heating costs may approach or
exceed the record costs seen in the winter of 2010-2011. When coupled
with the continuing slow recovery of New York's employment, stagnation
of wages and erosion of middle-class savings during the "Great
Recession," it is a clear that there may be widespread inability of
New Yorkers to pay their heating bills. At the same time, funding for
low income heating assistance is falling. Over the last two years,
heating assistance funding has been cut to $3.5 billion from $5.1
billion in 2010. Finally, the number of households receiving
assistance fell by 1.1 million over the period. Averting a catastrophe
is imperative.  And by providing a State-funded Middle Income Home
Energy Assistance program we are delivering immediate help on an
emergency basis to middle-income families.

The program will be funded through proceeds from carbon permits
auctioned as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-16:S.2529A -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2013-14:S.16148-Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2011-12:S.1064-A -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2009-2010:S.2457 -Referred to Energy & Telecommunications
2008-2009:S.8757-A- Referred to Rules

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

This bill is estimated to cost $1 million in State revenue.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed April 1, 2019.

2017-S2357 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2357
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation  to  authorizing
   the New York state energy research and development authority to devel-
   op a temporary middle income home energy assistance program; making an
   appropriation therefor and providing for the repeal of such provisions
   upon expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 1854 of the public authorities law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9.  TEMPORARY  MIDDLE  INCOME  HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (A) THE
 AUTHORITY IS AUTHORIZED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF  TAXATION
 AND  FINANCE,  TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER AND OPERATE A PLAN, AND
 HOLD FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PLAN, TO MAKE AVAILABLE  ONE-TIME  SUPPLE-
 MENTING  GRANTS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  ASSISTING ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS TO
 OBTAIN HOME HEATING FUEL.
   (B) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE  TERM  "HOME  HEATING  FUEL"
 SHALL  MEAN  FUEL  OIL,  COAL,  WOOD, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS, ELECTRICITY,
 STEAM, KEROSENE AND ANY OTHER FUEL WHEN  USED  FOR  RESIDENTIAL  HEATING
 PURPOSES.
   (C) THE AUTHORITY IS REQUIRED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLAN ESTABLISHED
 IN  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF THIS SUBDIVISION, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEMPORARY
 MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  AND  TO  ASSIST  ELIGIBLE
 HOUSEHOLDS TO OBTAIN MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE.
   (D)  PERSONS  WHO  QUALIFY FOR MIDDLE INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARDS PROMULGATED BY THE AUTHORITY, SHALL BE  CERTI-
 FIED  AS  ELIGIBLE  FOR AND ENTITLED TO RECEIVE SUCH HOME ENERGY ASSIST-
 ANCE. NO PERSON, HOWEVER, SHALL BE CERTIFIED AS ELIGIBLE FOR  AND  ENTI-
 TLED  TO  RECEIVE  SUCH  HOME  ENERGY  ASSISTANCE  IF NO STATE FUNDS ARE
 AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PURPOSE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD02149-01-7

 S. 2357                             2
 
   (E) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY,
 THE AMOUNT OF ANY HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS OR ALLOWANCES PROVIDED
 TO AN ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD UNDER SUCH PLAN SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED  INCOME
 OR  RESOURCES  OF  SUCH  HOUSEHOLDS,  OR  OF ANY MEMBER THEREOF, FOR ANY
 PURPOSE UNDER ANY STATE LAW.
   §  2.  The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), or so much thereof
 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the New York state energy
 research and development authority out of any moneys in the state treas-
 ury in the general fund to the credit of the state  purposes  fund,  not
 otherwise  appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose
 of  supporting  the  temporary  middle  income  home  energy  assistance
 program.    Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the
 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved  by  the  New  York  state
 energy  research  and  development authority in the manner prescribed by
 law.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed April 1, 2019.

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Senate Bill S2357

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Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker